Grenfell Tower fire: Volunteer beaten up after being mistaken for CEO of company responsible for building

Robert Outram was left bruised and ‘shaken’ after being mistaken for Robert Black

A volunteer helping the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire was beaten up at the protest in Kensington Town Hall after being mistaken for the CEO of the management company responsible for the tower, his wife has said.

At least 58 people are believed to have died in the fire that started on the fourth floor of the 24-storey tower in the early hours of Wednesday morning, before engulfing the rest of the building.

Kensington and Chelsea Council have been criticised for their slow response to helping the around 400-600 families who lost their homes in the blaze as well as failing to provide adequate support or information about missing loved ones.

It also emerged that they had been repeatedly warned about the danger of “cost cutting” during the renovation of the tower in 2016, which saw the installation of the flammable, plastic-based cladding panels to improve the look of the building and provide more insulation.

After days of poor communication, tensions rose at a demonstration by Grenfell residents and supporters on Friday when angry protesters stormed Kensington Town Hall demanding justice.

Robert Outram, 56, who had spent much of the last week volunteering at various shelters to help the victims,walked into the building at the time of the incident, where he was set upon because he looked like Robert Black – the CEO of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) responsible for managing the building.

He said he and a colleague were attacked by a group of protesters after one shouted: “It’s them two [sic]”.

Mr Outram’s wife, Angela, told the Daily Telegraph: “He got a big bang on the head, he was thumped, he’s been left with a lump on the side of his head. He was really shaken up by it all.

“He had nothing to do with any of this. In fact, he’s been volunteering to help the victims.

“The council didn’t warn anyone about this protest. His picture is online with the wrong name attached to it.”

The protest occurred as Theresa May was visiting a small church in Notting Hill to meet victims.

A group of demonstrators appeared outside and demanded the Prime Minister come out to speak to them. She eventually left around 20 minutes later from a side door while the crowd chanted “coward”.